Desert Dunes Horseback Expeditions

Canter through Atacama Desert’s enchanting, otherworldly beauty in style. Through this desert expedition ride, travelers will soak in distinct landscapes ranging from big salt flats, sand dunes, craggy mountains and deep valleys. Seeing the ever-changing panoramas on horseback magnifies the unique atmosphere of desert and the experience itself is nothing but extraordinary.

This trip designed by our Atacama local specialists is a two-loop ride that starts and ends in San Pedro de Atacama. Start the expedition by crossing the Valle della Luna (the Moon Valley), known for its bizarre landscape and mysterious flare. As its name points it out, the valley’s rocky geological formations and intense colors resemble the Mars’s surface. Canter through the valley’s soft sand dunes and pass through multiple channels, natural caves and holes of mad shapes that will surely amaze anyone. If listen carefully, travelers will hear the rumble of the rocks that creaks as if they are a whisper from an ancient ghost tale. Continue the expedition to Tres Cruces Valley, an immense field with gorgeous red rocks, before travelers reach the ledge of the Salt Cordillera.

It is a pre-cordillera created by the erosion, and its further east part turns into the majestic Andean Cordillera. The area’s characteristic is strong wind that continuously shapes natural elements into awe-inspiring sculptures.  Travelers will marvel at the impressive amount of natural formations shaped by wind in the cordillera and their unique artistic expressions. From the high point of Cordillera, travelers will go through the entire Death Valley and its major sand dunes. Take a moment to simply wander around. There is no better place on earth to  contemplate and admire the sand magic than here.

Next, travelers will observe the ancient rock paintings on the legendary Petroglyphs Corral in Arenoso Valley, while our Atacama-specific anthropologist guide decoding the cultural myth from his local knowledge. We then ride through the “Devils Throat,” a giant radioactive crater that will impress anyone with its massive scale,  to the calming Salado River.

After riding through the vast valley of Quebrada de Kari, travelers will come back to the Mars-like Valle della Luna and experience the sensation of walking over the moon. Conclude the desert horseback expedition of a lifetime by returning to the open plain of San Pedro in front of the Andes Mountains.